SpiderMan 6
by SandwichesHinderProgress
Summary: As Spider-Man tries to figure out how to keep his powers from going away, a new team arises called the Sinister Six, which partly consists of a couple of villains he has faced before. Meanwhile, the symbiote has found a new host and created an offspring.
1. Job Interview

Peter Parker reflected on all that he had done in the past few years. It was all like a comic book. He had been bitten by a radioactive spider. He had seen Uncle Ben die. He had defeated the man he believed to be responsible. He had witnessed the death of the Green Goblin. He had seen Doctor Octopus trying to save the city from a ball of energy. He had seen the death of his best friend, Harry Osborn. He had seen the explosion that killed Venom. He had seen the Sandman fly away. He had fought the Vulture and brought him to justice. He had helped Doctor Curtis Connors turn back from Lizard to human. He had met the Vultress. He had seen Morbius the living vampire fly away. He had seen Man-Wolf turn back into John Jameson before he went into a coma. He had seen Scorpion fall out of the Flatiron Building. He had melted Rhino's hide. He had seen the man within the suit strangled to death by Kraven the Hunter. He had been fired by J. Jonah Jameson. He had sat in the hospital's waiting room while Mary Jane cried.

_Who am I? I was Spider-Man. But as of late, I have been feeling less and less like him. A vampire injected something into me that has been taking away my powers. I have told neither Mary Jane nor Aunt May about this. They would only worry. I have also not told them that I was fired from the _Daily Bugle. _Now, I am trying to figure out what my future_ is.

Peter Parker was being interviewed by the head of the _New York Post_.

"So you used to work for the _Daily Bugle_?"

"Yes."

"What kind of work did you do there?"

"I was a photographer. I've taken many pictures of Spider-Man."

"Yes. People love to see Spider-Man. However, he hasn't stopped crime in the past couple of months. People are wondering where he is."

"If I find him, I can take a picture of him doing what he does. You know, climbing walls."

"That's not enough. People don't want to just read about seeing Spider-Man. They want to read about him stopping crimes that are current. I'm afraid that if getting pictures of Spider-Man is the only thing you're good at, you may not have a place here."

"But I have been waiting a long time for this interview. After all the postponing, I really want this job."

"We already have a guy who takes photos of masked men here. He takes pictures of Daredevil. And I think that that's good enough for us. Thank you for your time, Mr. Parker. You may leave now."


	2. Accident on a Film Set

That night, Peter Parker arrived on the set of a film. It was on top of one of the local theaters. The theater had to be closed temporarily so that production could take place. This was not just any film. It was a film that his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, was starring in. A couple of months earlier, she got her theatrical career back. More recently, she was offered a role in a movie. Peter walked over to her. She was wearing a beautiful dress.

"Hey Pete," she said.

"Wow. You look beautiful."

"Thanks. Can you believe it? I'm actually gonna be in a movie!"

"What's this movie called again?"

"It's called _Mysterio_. It is about a misunderstood man who disguises himself, falls in love with an actress, and creates illusions that terrify people."

"Part of that sounds familiar. I assume that you are the actress that he falls in love with."

"Yeah. But don't worry. I've talked to the guy who's making this movie. We're not gonna kiss. He is going to create the illusion that we are kissing. You have to meet him!"

Mary Jane brought Peter to the director of the film.

"Who is this?" the director asked.

"Quentin Beck, this is my boyfriend Peter Parker."

"Nice to meet you," Quentin said.

"Quentin Beck... Didn't you make some movies about zombies?" Peter asked.

"Yes. _Mystery of the Dead_. I also made a mystery movie called _Myste__rious Murder_. I'm done with B-movies. This film is going to change my career. Pretty soon, everyone will know the name Quentin Beck. I mean, I know that you know my name but few people have heard of my other movies. I want to increase my fan base. I have done mostly everything in my other movies, but this movie will be a step up. I am the writer, the director, the actor playing Mysterio, and in charge of special effects. Let me show you something."

"Okay."

Beck led Peter and Mary Jane to a chest. He opened it and took out helmet that looked similar to a crystal ball.

"It's made out of pexiglass," Beck said. "It can also project 3D images. I believe that 3D can be the future of film-making. This ought to make me a lot of money. We are just about to film a scene if you wanna watch."

"Sure."

Beck put on a green suit, a red cape, and the helmet. Lights lit up. He looked at one of the technicians, who was in charge of electrical equipment.

"Is everything ready, Max?"

"Ready."

"Okay. Handle that stuff with care. That's advanced equipment. Action, everyone!"

Mary Jane looked around and looked surprised when she saw Beck as Mysterio.

"Did I scare you?"

"A little. I mean, I was surprised. What you are wearing looks most unusual."

"Would you believe me if I told you that I can do magic tricks?"

"I don't know."

A 3D image of Mary Jane was projected from the helmet.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic."

The sound of thunder emitted from the sky.

"Is it gonna rain today?" Max asked.

"It's okay if it does," Beck said. "Keep rolling, everyone!"

"What does a magician's face look like?" Mary Jane asked.

"Pucker your lips and I will show you."

Mary Jane puckered her lips. A 3D image of Beck without the costume was projected in front of Mary Jane, looking like it was kissing her.

"Amazing," Mary Jane said.

A moment later, lightning struck the electric equipment that surrounded Max. He let out a scream.

"Max!" Beck yelled.

Peter walked over to Max, who was lying down with his eyes closed. He checked for a pulse.

"He's still alive. But he's unconscious. Someone should take him to the hospital."

"Crap," Beck said. "Okay, everyone. Let's cancel today's scene and postpone it. We should wait for Max to recover."

"Oh my God," Mary Jane said. "I hope he'll be fine."


	3. Electro

Maxwell Dillion, the electrical engineer, was lying motionless in a hospital bed. The doctors believed that he was in a temporary coma and would eventually wake up.

Meanwhile, down the hallway, J. Jonah Jameson and his wife Joan were looking at the motionless body of their son, John, who was lying on a hospital bed in a coma. J. Jonah Jameson blamed Peter Parker for what happened to him, hence the reason that he was fired from the _Daily Bugle_.

"Just look at our boy," Joan said. "Do you think that he is dreaming?"

"I don't know. But he sure doesn't deserve this. I'm sure of that. He was a hard-worker and a hero."

"He still may be."

"I hope so. Anyone who thinks otherwise can go to Hell."

"How are things at the _Bugle_."

"People want to see more pictures of Spider-Man, but he hasn't been doing much these past couple months. I think he's up to something. I have my own camera with me in case I have the opportunity to take a picture of him or some other freak."

A doctor and a nurse entered the other room where Max Dillon was.

"What happened to him?" the nurse asked.

"He was working with some cables on a film set when he got struck by lightning."

"Which film?"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that this man is taken care of so that he may recover."

Max awoke and sat up.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Calm down. You were unconscious, but you're fine now."

A bolt of electricity shot out of Max's right hand. The doctor was electrocuted to death. Another bolt shot out of his left hand, electrocuting the nurse.

"No! What have I done?"

Max looked outside of the room and saw an orderly passing by. The orderly stopped when he noticed the dead bodies.

"Wait. You don't understand. I did not mean to do this. I can't control it!"

Max raised his hands. Electricity shot out of them and killed the orderly. Dillon was panicking. He exited the room. Electricity that emitted from him shut off the lights as he ran down the hallway.

"Damn it!" J. Jonah Jameson yelled from the room he was in. "If these people can't take care of the lights, how do we know that they can keep this feeding tube working!"

Dillon stood in front of the elevator. Electricity emitted from him and stopped it from coming up. He decided to take the stairs. Electricity shocked people who sat in the waiting room. He got out of the hospital. More pedestrians were being shocked by him.

"Freeze!" a police officer said as he was accompanied by others.

"This is not my fault! Quentin Beck made me work during this lightning storm. He is responsible for the accident that did this to me."

"Put your hands in the air."

"That's not a good idea."

"Do it!"

Dillon reluctantly put his hands in the air. Lightning bolts came out of his hands and killed all of the police officers around him. Another lightning bolt shot out of him and blew up a police car.

"Beck, I'm gonna kill you!"


	4. Mysterio

The next morning, Quentin Beck awoke in his apartment. He heard someone knocking on the door. He looked through the peephole and saw an executive from the studio that was funding _Mysterio_. Beck opened the door and let him in.

"What are you doing here, Sam?"

"Have you seen the news?"

"No."

"Turn it on."

Beck walked over to his television and turned it on. He flipped the channels until he found the news.

_"This man who has been electrocuting people to death has been identified as Maxwell Dillon, who was working on the set of the Quentin Beck film _Mysterio_ when he was struck by lightning. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but he is considered extremely dangerous."_

"Your movie is getting bad publicity. In addition, it seems unoriginal."

"What do you mean?"

"Open your eyes! This is a ripoff of _The Phantom of the Opera_."

"It's an homage."

"And there are these other studios who are threatening to sue you for ideas that they originally used in movies about magicians and illusionists."

"Can't we pay them off?"

"No. I just don't think that your movie is that profitable. I'm shutting it down."

"No. You can't shut it down. We just started production!"

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You have no idea how much time I spent writing this script and rewriting it until it got just right. I had to work my ass off to make enough money to finance it. I was gonna be famous!"

"Be original. That's my advice for a future project if you ever make one. I have already taken the liberty of having people call your cast and crew to break the news to them."

With that, the executive left Beck's apartment. Beck ran over to the chest that contained his suit, gloves, boots, cape, and helmet. He put everything on as quickly as he could. He ran out of his apartment and down the stairs. He caught the executive in the lobby.

"Give it up. Stop trying to impress me. It's over."

"Feel the wrath of Mysterio."

Mysterio punched the executive in the face. He got him down on the ground and stomped on his head with his boots.

"I am going to become famous. I will do anything to be famous. Even if it means becoming a criminal mastermind."

The executive stopped breathing. Mysterio looked at the man sitting at his desk in the lobby.

"Oh my God," he said. "You killed him!'

Mysterio walked towards the desk. He spoke as he got closer.

"Spread the word. Tell New York that there is a new big name in town. And his name is Mysterio."

Mysterio backed away and ran out of the building.

"Now, if I'm going to become a master criminal, I need to find someone willing to help me become more deadly."


	5. Worries

That night, Peter went over to Mary Jane's house. Earlier that day, she had told him that production of _Mysterio_ had been shut down. He wanted to come over to cheer her up.

"How are you doing?" Peter asked.

"Okay, I guess," she answered. "It just sucks that the movie was canceled. I really thought that I was finally gonna make it on the big screen."

"Even if you don't make it on the big screen, you are still big on Broadway."

"That's true. It's just weird why the film got shut down. All because that technician was hit by lightning. It must have hit Quentin Beck hard because nobody knows where he is. And I heard on the news that the lightning gave him some superpower. He's killing people wherever he goes. You've got to stop him."

"Well, uh..."

"Is something wrong?"

"There is something I haven't been completely honest to you about."

"What?"

"My powers haven't been working because of something that that vampire put in my blood."

"Peter! Keeping secrets is one thing, but this is serious! Does Aunt May know about this?"

"I can only imagine how she would react."

"Is this why there haven't been Spider-Man pictures in the _Bugle_?"

"There is something else... J. Jonah Jameson fired me from the _Daily Bugle_."

"Why?"

"Why else? He hates my guts. He hates Spider-Man. He knows that I have been keeping my identity a secret from him. And he knows that it's all my fault that you left John."

Mary Jane started to tear up.

"Sorry. I just..."

"I didn't mean to touch a nerve. I was just explaining..."

"I know. I feel guilty about it every day."

"Only I should be guilty. I should have told you that I wanted to be with you sooner than I did. I am responsible. And I am responsible for the city. Which is why I need to figure out how to get my powers back."

"How? What have you been trying?"

"I gave a blood sample to Doctor Connors when he came back to the city after the attacks by all those villains earlier in the year. He's been studying it. He says it's the strangest thing he's ever seen. He didn't know how Morbius created what he did, but he says he might be able to figure out how to reverse its effects on me. He says he will call me when he has results."

"He's okay with doing this?"

"I've saved him a couple of times. He doesn't mind at all."

"Maybe you should also tell Aunt May what's going on. It's not good to keep secrets from family."

"You're right. You're always right. That is why I love you so much."

"I love you too, Peter."

Their faces got closer to each other until their lips locked in a passionate kiss.


	6. Electro vs Mysterio

The next day, Mysterio was walking down the streets of New York. He was wearing the suit, the cape, the gloves, the boots, and the helmet. He walked up to the biggest bank that he could find. There were police officers in front of it.

"Come no closer, sir!"

"Why not?" Mysterio asked.

"Just freeze and take off that helmet."

"I'm all about business."

"Just put your hands up!"

Guns were pointed at Mysterio. He put up his hands. It was too late for the police officers to notice the new nozzles on his gloves. Gas was emitted from the wrists. It knocked out all of the police officers. Mysterio entered the bank.

"Everybody get down on the ground!" Mysterio said. "This is a robbery!"

"Oh my God!" a woman said. "What is that thing?"

"If you refuse to comply, then I will have no choice but to put you all to sleep."

Mysterio emitted gas from his boots. It put everyone inside the bank to sleep.

"Way too easy," Mysterio said. "Where is the challenge!"

"I have a challenge for you right here!"

Mysterio looked back at the entrance and saw a familiar face.

"Max? How did you find me?"

"It's easy to spot someone walking down the street in a cheesy costume like that."

"Cheesy? Why don't you tell that to my face!"

Mysterio was about to release more gas, but he felt sparks on his wrists that surprised him.

"You better be careful. I just may melt your cheese."

"What the...? How did you do that?"

"I have been hiding, Mysterio. It seems that I cannot get close to people without killing them. It's all because of these electric powers that I got. It's all because of you!"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're the one who only cared about your stupid movie. I could have been killed by that lightning! I wish it had killed me. This is worse than death!"

"Why don't I put you out of your misery?"

"You won't get me that easy!"

Mysterio ran up to Max.

"Stay back or I will electro-!"

Max was interrupted by a headbutt in the head from Mysterio.

"Electro. That could be a great name for you. We could work together, you and I."

"Screw you!"

Electro shocked Mysterio's helmet. He seemed unfazed.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that for you to destroy this helmet. I made this thing. It is impenetrable. I am a genius!"

Electro shocked Mysterio in the torso.

"How does it feel, Beck?"

"Mysterio."

"What's so mysterious about a pathetic man who can't even be original?"

"A wise guy, eh?"

"See what I mean?"

"I'll show you something original!"

Mysterio was about to release more gas. Max ran out of the building.

"Seen it!"

"I'll get you!"

Mysterio exited the building and ran after Max. People gathered around to see what was going on at the bank. Among these people was Peter Parker. He pulled out his camera. As Max shocked Mysterio, he took a picture. He put his hand in his coat and tried to see if he could shoot web. Nothing was working. He felt helpless.

"I wish that I could do something," he said as Max and Mysterio got farther and farther away from the scene of the crime.


	7. The Sinister Initiative

Mysterio eventually cornered Max in an alley. The police had lost sight of them.

"This is the end of the power line for you, Electro," Mysterio said. "You should have taken that deal."

"I will never work with you again, Beck!"

"You've got that right."

The two dangerous men ran towards each other. Up above, a figure with four mechanical tentacles watched from a rooftop. He jumped down and landed in between Electro and Mysterio. He stopped both of them with his tentacles.

"Stop what you are doing."

Electro shocked a tentacle, causing it to swing back and forth and hit Mysterio in the chest.

"That is a really impressive power you have there. I believe that introductions are in order. I am Doctor Octopus. I am a scientist. You two look like you could use some improvement."

"I don't need you!" Mysterio said.

"Oh, but you do. You see, I am a well-known villain. People thought that I died three years ago, but I survived. The people who saw me fight Spider-Man were rooting for that insect to smite me, the man who had recently lost his wife during a tragic experiment gone wrong! Soon, I will come out of hiding. And I will be on the news every day. Wouldn't you like to have real onscreen fame, Mysterio?"

"I do."

"Well now you can. Movies are overrated. Especially the highly-anticipated crap-filled sequels. You are much better terrorizing civilians in New York. You will no longer be a laughing stalk. You will be feared by many."

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Electro said.

"Do you even like your job? Wouldn't you like an easier way to earn money? You could do just that. I can even make you a suit that would help you control your powers. However, there is a catch."

"I'm listening," Electro said. "What's the catch?"

"We are forming a team and would like for you two to join."

"Who's we?" Mysterio asked.

The stubby-looking man with sunglasses looked up to the rooftop from which he had jumped. There, Electro and Mysterio could see Kraven the Hunter. The octopus-like man looked back at Electro and Mysterio.

"We want to catch Spider-Man."

Kraven jumped down to the ground.

"Not just catch. We want to hunt and kill him!"

"Spider-Man never did anything to me," Electro said. "Your plan just sounds too sinister."

"Weren't you listening?" Kraven said. "You want to get money, yes? Well, Spider-Man will get in the way and stop you from achieving your goals. He stopped me from hunting game! He is a pest who must be squished!"

"A team of supervillains, huh?" Mysterio said. "Sounds intriguing. Any chance you can give me access to poisonous gas, Doc?"

"Of course. I am more powerful than you think. I can get anything I want. And soon, you guys can as well."

"I suppose I will join," Electro said. "But you better give me a suit that works!"

"It'll work. Believe me. Have faith in me. I got these tentacles to work, didn't I? I am a genius!"

"Talk about deja vu," Mysterio said.

"Excellent. Then we are closer to having a complete team."

"Who else are we getting?" Mysterio asked.

"I am currently negotiating with another man who has fought Spider-Man before. I think that he would make a great addition to our team. He nearly killed Spider-Man once!"

"I want to pleasure to kill Spider-Man!" Kraven said.

"And you will. I promise you. We will all have a hand in his suffering, though. There is also another man who fought him and is currently incarcerated. I am sure that he would love to taste revenge once again. We just need to go to my hideout and start planning."


	8. The Daily Globe

_The Daily Globe_ was one of New York's best newspaper publishers. Peter Parker figured that he could work here. With the picture of the incident that took place at the bank earlier that day, Peter believed that he had a chance to get a regular job. Thus, he found himself in front of the secretary's desk at the _Daily Globe_ headquarters.

"Who are you?" the secretary asked.

"My name is Peter Parker."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"You may have to schedule one right now. I would like to work here."

"Yeah? What makes you think that you have a shot here?"

Peter pulled out the photo of Mysterio and Electro and revealed it to the receptionist.

"I have a shot," Peter replied.

"Wow. That happened today, right?"

"Sure did."

"Let me talk to my boss, the editor, so that you can meet him immediately."

Minutes later, Peter found himself in the office of the editor. He was a balding, chubby man with glasses and a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.

"Barney Bushkin. You must be the Peter Parker fellow I heard about from my secretary."

"That's right."

"Let me see your pictures."

"It's only one picture, actually."

Peter handed the photo to Barney. He gazed at it for what must have been ten seconds but felt like an hour.

"It's not just a picture. This is _the_ picture. It's the picture that can put the _Daily Globe_ back on the map. How much do you want for it?"

"I was actually wondering if I could work here."

"Really? What kind of experience do you have?"

"I used to work for _The Daily Bugle_."

"Ah, yes. That newspaper run by that hack J. Jonah Jameson. It's the newspapers with the Spider-Man photos that outsell our papers."

"I was the one who took all the pictures of Spider-Man."

"Really? Of course! I wondered why your name sounded so familiar. Why did Jameson fire you?"

"Creative differences. He sees Spider-Man as a menace, but I see him as a hero."

"He is a hero. However, one would wonder why he wasn't there to stop... Damn it! Who are these people in this photo of yours?"

"I have reason to believe that the man with the helmet is Quentin Beck. My girlfriend was acting on the set of one of his movies one day and he wore a suit just like that. The movie was canceled, so I'm guessing that that made him angry."

"Why was it canceled?"

"That other guy in the photo, Max Dillon, was working with electrical equipment on the set of the film and got struck by lightning. I'm guessing that's how he got his powers."

"Are you making this up? Because it sounds like something you got out of a comic book."

"I swear, it's true. I saw it happen with my own eyes."

"Tell you what. You get great pictures, and you seem like a smart kid. We will give you a job here and you will get paid in advanced. Just give all of your information to my secretary. You can start coming here tomorrow morning. Just keep taking great pictures."

"Thank you, Mr. Bushkin."

"Please, call me Barney."

Afterwards, Peter went over to Aunt May's house to tell her the news. He knocked on the door, and she answered.

"Peter. What has happened?"

"I've got a new job at _The Daily Globe_."

"What happened to your job with the _Bugle_?"

"I should have told you Aunt May. That's why I had to come all the way here to tell you in person. Jameson fired me after his son went into a coma."

"Why?"

"I think he blames me. He knows that I'm Spider-Man, and he never forgave me for stealing Mary Jane."

"You didn't steal her, Peter. You two loved each other _before_ she met John. Bad timing does exist. As for Mr. Jameson, I can understand why he would be worried about his son. In fact, I love to think of you as a son. And you are a darn good one, Peter. I am sure that he will learn that he will only hurt more if he holds a grudge."

"I hope not. He and I may not see eye-to-eye, but I hated that feeling."

"Only God can help him in his time of need. I pray for everyone who needs prayers. I will be sure to pray for Mr. Jameson, no matter what he thinks of you."

"You always know best, Aunt May."

"Your uncle thought so too. He would be so proud of you."


	9. Ryker's Prison

A few nights later, the leader of the new sinister team led Electro, Kraven, Mysterio, and the Sandman to the bridge to Ryker's Island.

"Where are we going, Octavius?" the Sandman asked.

"Be patient and trust me, Sandman. You were smart to join us in our battle against that menace, Spider-Man."

"My daughter is dead," the Sandman said. "I have nothing to lose."

"That's great to hear, and you shall prove your worth right now. Our team is not yet complete."

Electro was wearing a green suit that had yellow bottom-wear, gloves, lightning bolt logos on the legs and chest, and a star-shaped mask.

"This suit seems to be working like you said, Doc."

"With all the cars on this bridge, it could take a while to get to our destination. What do you say we break them?"

"I'm in!" Mysterio said as he punched the windshield of a car.

"I'm not sure about this," Electro said.

"Feel the power for once!" Kraven said as he ran on top of cars. "You will love it!"

"Listen to him," the leader said, making his mechanical tentacles step on cars. Many people were screaming.

"Okay," Electro said before directing lightning bolts from his hands to a couple of cars. "Wow! That felt pretty good."

The Sandman went into his sand form and blew himself under the cars.

Unbeknownst to these villains, a wall-crawler was watching from the rooftop of a building near the bridge. This was Mac Gargan, who was now Scorpion Venom. He was Scorpion before, but that was before he bonded with a symbiote sample that J. Jonah Jameson had acquired. Ever since the curing of John Jameson, the death of Rhino, and the disappearances of Kraven and Morbius, Scorpion had been lurking in the shadows of the city, mugging anyone dumb enough to walk into an alley. Now, he knew where Kraven, who had tried killing him, was heading.

"What to do with the hunter?" he wondered aloud.

Scorpion Venom climbed swiftly down the walls of the building. He ran to the bridge and climbed under it, crawling upside-down towards Ryker's Island.

When the five villains making their way past the cars reached the prison, the Sandman created a whirlwind of sand that blinded the guards. Electro made his way to a powerbox and made it short-circuit, turning off all of the lights and anything else powered by electricity in the prison. All it took was mechanical tentacles to break open the door. Police officers from the inside arrived with their guns.

"Freeze!"

Mysterio's nozzles released lethal gas that killed the officers within a minute.

"It looks like your bodies are freezing on the floor," Mysterio said.

"Really?" Electro said. "You really needed to say that?"

Kraven followed the leader to the prison cells. Electro, Mysterio, and the Sandman followed. Scorpion Venom arrived and followed stealthily. Kraven arrived at the cell block that contained Adrian Toomes, the Vulture. The guards got into position. Kraven's jumps kept him from getting hit by bullets. He twisted a couple of arms and a few necks. Toomes stared shockingly at the dead bodies.

"Kraven the Hunter?"

"You're lucky that I have orders to not kill you, Vulture. He's all yours, Otto."

Toomes was surprised by the mechanical tentacles that broke off the bars of his cell.

"Doctor Octavius? I thought you were dead?"

"I'm surprised you're not. We meet at last, Adrian. You were full of promise, but Spider-Man got in your way. What do you say we teach him a lesson?"

At that point in the exchange, he revealed a bag and pulled out the device it contained. It was Toomes' harness.

"I _will_ fly again!" Toomes said. "Especially if it means besting Spider-Man!"

"Now I know why the caged bird sings," Mysterio said.

"We about done here, Doc?" the Sandman said.

"Yes. Now, we are complete. We shall be called, the Sinister Six."

Meanwhile, Scorpion Venom had found a cell block full of murderous psychopaths.

"Which one of you is worthy of the gift?"

Many of the prisoners in that cell block stepped away from the bars. They were terrified by the sight of Gargan's current form. Only one stood against the bars.

"Me!"

"What is your name?"

"Cletus Kasady."

"And what is it that you like to do, Cletus?"

"They say I killed eleven people, but it's not true."

"You were framed for a crime."

"No! I'm saying that I killed twenty-three people! I _love_ to kill. And I like to cut myself, see?"

Cletus held out his right hand through the bars. It had a knife cut. Scorpion Venom shook the hand. The symbiote produced an offspring in the bloodstream of Cletus' hand. Soon, his whole body was black and red. Scorpion Venom broke the bars with his tail.

"There is another man who loves to kill in the cell block over there. His name is Kraven, and he wears fur. You should see if you can kill him."

"Carnage!"

Carnage ran to the cell block that the Sinister Six were in and ran towards Kraven. Electro shot out a spark, and a bit of the symbiote jumped off of Cletus' body for a moment.

"That thing is dangerous!" the Sandman said.

"I'll kill it," Electro said, shocking it again and causing the same effect.

The new symbiote warned Cletus that it was too dangerous to attack at the moment. Carnage ran out from the prison.

"Let's kill that thing, Doctor!" Kraven said.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get back to headquarters."

Scorpion Venom watched them exit the prison. He followed them and remained unseen in the shadows.


	10. Sinister Six

The next day, Peter Parker was on his way to work when he saw another bank robbery taking place. He took out his camera and pointed it towards the bank. He zoomed it so that he could get a good look at the robber. What he saw astounded him, for it appeared to be Spider-Man. But it could not be Spider-Man, for Peter Parker was Spider-Man and he did not have his powers right now.

"Who is that?" Peter asked himself. "Oh no. I'm being framed. Jameson's not gonna let this one go."

Inside of the bank, the man in the Spider-Man suit held up a gun. The people inside were on the ground. In his off-hand, he held a bag. He pointed the gun to an accountant and moved it close to the bag for a second, a motion signaling for the accountant to give him money. The accountant complied. Money was taken out of the safe to fill the bag in the robber's hand. The robber in the Spider-Man suit ran out of the bank and paused so that nearby photographers could take pictures. After the pause, he tried running down the street. Police officers tried to stop him. The robber shot a web-looking substance at them. It came from webshooters that were not obvious to the pedestrians. Peter noticed as he zoomed.

"I need my powers back," Peter said to himself. "Would the people really believe this?"

The man in the Spider-Man suit shot a web at a building and started swinging away. Five of the Sinister Six watched from a rooftop as he disappeared.

"Did Spider-Man just rob a bank?" Electro asked.

"Doctor Octavius told me that he hired someone to disguise himself as Spider-Man to ruin his reputation."

"That seems unnecessary," Mysterio said. "I could have made a hologram projection of Spider-Man."

"Can your projections hold up bags of cash?" the Vulture asked. "In any case, I cannot wait to strike."

"When is Doc Ock gonna be here?" the Sandman asked.

"He said that he would be here after the robbery," Kraven said.

After minutes passed, they saw the sixth member of the Sinister Six appear. He used his tentacles to climb down a building and jump onto the sidewalk. The other members of the Sinister Six made their way down as he questioned the civilians.

"Where is Spider-Man?" he asked.

"He just robbed a bank!" a terrified citizen said.

"Looks like he wasn't the hero you all thought he was. Hey Spidey! Wherever you are, it's me, your old friend. You know, Doctor Octopus? Ring any bells? Let's have a little reunion and battle it out for old time sake. Come and get me! If you don't, we will terrorize these people! And by we, I mean the Sinister Six!"

Peter heard a sound and looked upward. He could see the Vulture swooping into the bank from above. He bashed guards with his mechanical wings.

"Vulture?" Peter said.

Sand was being blown in the direction of the bank by the air. The sand got together and created a gigantic sand-looking being that smashed through the walls of the bank. It then took the form of a human that Peter recognized as Flint Marko.

"Marko!" Peter shouted. "What are you doing?"

All that the Sandman could do was stare at him. The man with mechanical tentacles made his way towards Peter.

"You know this guy?"

"Octavius?" Peter said.

"Do I know you?"

"Take a picture!" Mysterio said. "It'll last longer!"

Mysterio released sleeping gas from his nozzles. People started running away. Within moments, Peter was knocked out. Mysterio picked up the camera and took pictures of himself.

"What the hell are you doing?" Electro said.

"Getting my good side. Do your thing!"

"Whatever."

Electro sent out waves of electricity that caused cars to break down. People inside of the cars got electrocuted.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Mysterio said.

Kraven punched the skulls of officers who were trying to subdue the villains. The Vulture flew out of the bank with his hands each carrying a bag of money.

"I am the best! I will get you, Spider-Man, wherever you are!"

"I will _kill_ you!" Kraven said.

"I don't see him," the Sinister Six leader said. "Where is he? We must keep hurting these people until he arrives!"

His tentacles broke cars and walls. They almost struck a woman to death, but an old man with white hair and glasses pulled her away.

"Deja vu," the old man said. As the Vulture swooped down, he pulled another woman out of the way. Kraven tried jumping onto a man, but the old man pulled that man away, causing Kraven to hit his head on the ground. Electro tried shocking a different man, but the old man was able to pull that man away as well. Mysterio tried charging towards the old man, but the old man tripped him. "Being a hero never gets old."

"I don't think Spidey's coming," Mysterio said.

"We should retreat!" the Sandman said. "We'll strike on another day."

Mysterio got up and threw down a smoke bomb. When the smoke cleared, the only thing that the civilians could see was the sands of the Sandman blowing away."


	11. Awake With Confusion

Peter awoke later in a hospital bed. He looked around. Aunt May, Mary Jane, and a doctor were present in the room.

"What happened?" Peter asked.

"According to witnesses, you were put to sleep by some sort of gas," the doctor said.

Peter looked at the television that was against the wall.

_"Witnesses say that these criminals who struck New York today call themselves the Sinister Six. It appears that their common motive is to annihilate Spider-Man, who was seen robbing a bank prior to the attack. The leader of the Sinister Six appears to be Doctor Otto Octavius, who was believed to have been dead and cremated. Other familiar faces from Spider-Man's rogue gallery include Flint Marko, the Sandman who disappeared after attempting to murder Spider-Man three years ago, Adrian Toomes, the Vulture who was arrested last year, and Kraven the Hunter, who was partly responsible for the recent property damages in the city. New faces include Quentin Beck and Maxwell Dillon in the forms of Mysterio and Electro. Both were involved in the recently canceled film by the former. The Sinister Six had previously been spotted on the bridge to Ryker's Prison, from which Toomes was broken out. Another inmate named Cletus Kasady is missing from the prison, and officials wonder whether the Sinister Six broke him out and what their intentions were."_

"Can we be alone for a few minutes?" Peter asked the doctor.

"Sure. And don't worry. You will have a full and speedy recovery."

The doctor left the room. Mary Jane and Aunt May stepped closer to Peter.

"Who was that guy in the Spider-Man suit robbing the bank?" Mary Jane asked.

"I don't know. But it had an uncanny likeness to my suit, save for the hidden webslingers."

"It would be ridiculous for people to actually believe that Spider-Man would do such a thing," Aunt May said. "Why didn't you show everyone that it was an imposter? I know you, and I know that you usually put on the suit when there is danger afoot."

"Peter, you didn't tell her?" Mary Jane asked.

"Tell me what? Is there something else that you're keeping from me? You can tell me anything, Peter."

"I'm sorry, Aunt May. I lost my powers because of something that that vampire injected into me. But Doctor Connors has been working hard to make a cure."

"Oh dear! How could you just stand out there when you had no powers?"

"I was shocked. I thought that Octavius died when he sacrificed himself to save the city, and I thought that Flint Marko and I had an understanding. What I don't understand is why I wasn't captured by Octavius. He _knows_ my identity."

"Well, thank God he didn't capture you," Aunt May said. "I don't want you being anywhere near these people while you lie powerless."

"Me neither," Mary Jane said. "I know that it's painful, Peter. I know that you don't want to watch all of these people die. There may be nothing that you can do now, but I believe that you _will_ be able to do something eventually. You have to tell yourself that it's not your fault. It's the fault of these people who choose to live bad lives instead of reforming their lives."

"I know. But it just hurts _so_ much."


	12. Robertson's Speech

In the Flatiron Building, the people who worked for _The Daily Bugle_ were very busy.

"We've got it!" Hoffman said. "We've got it Mr. Jameson. Not only do we have pictures of the Sinister Six, but we also have a picture of Spider-Man robbing a bank."

"Excellent, Hoffman," Jameson said. "You're finally getting that raise that you've been bugging me about all these years."

"Are the Sinister Six gonna be on the cover page?" Betty asked.

"Are you kidding? I thought you knew me more than anyone in this place, Betty. Most of those guys are old news. And even though Mysterio and Electro are recent, those quacks at _The Daily Globe_ already had them on the front page. We finally have a picture of Spider-Man with his hand in the cookie jar _without_ any fakery."

"That probably isn't even the real Spider-Man," Robertson said. "Spider-Man would _never_ rob a bank."

"But there is proof right here."

"The Sinister Six seem to be bent on killing Spider-Man. Isn't it more logical that they're trying to screw up his reputation and that this is one of their minions _disguised_ as Spider-Man to rake his name in the mud like _you_ have?"

"You have absolutely no proof other than a wild guess that it isn't Spider-Man."

"It's not a wild guess. It's an educated guess. You clearly know nothing about the characterization of Spider-Man."

"And if you knew anything about my character, you would know that I don't care that you think Spider-Man is not a menace."

"I know your character. You are a liar. I know that you are dealing with a lot of stuff having to do with your son, but this has been going on way too long. I quit."

"You can't quit! You're fired!"

"Like I said, you are a liar. I can work for any paper in this city. Anyone of them would be better than this lie-spreader that _you_ run. And when it comes to danger, you will run. But Spider-Man would never run. He is a superhero. Even if he was a regular hero, he would be better than you. Even your son is a real hero. If he ever wakes up, I hope he has a hero by his side."

This struck someting inside of J. Jonah Jameson. He was sadened by the reminder that his son was still in a coma. He was also angered by Robertson's surprising comments concerning his character.

"And he will! I am a hero! Not a menace!"

"Well you sure are good at acting like a menace."

"Screw you! The _Bugle_'s headline today will be 'SPIDER-MAN: SINISTER ROBBER'. The _Bugle_ will make so much money today that you will regret leaving!"

"I will not regret severing ties with the likes of you, Jonah."

And with that, Robbie Robertson stormed out of the worplace.

"Anyone else wanna get laid off?" Jameson said.

"No thank you," Hoffman said. "I'm good."


	13. A Traitor Unmasked

In a secluded building on the other side of the city, the Sinister Six had a meeting. The building was full of criminals who were willing to do their leader's building. They consisted mostly of mobsters. The six supervillains sat around a table.

"I don't understand why he didn't show up," the head of the team said. "Spider-Man helps civilians! It's always been that way! He should have arrived!"

"At least his reputation has been tainted," the Vulture said. "Now people will see him as a criminal."

"But we must get him so that we may show him the meaning of pain!" Kraven said.

"Kraven, Kraven, Kraven. Always so eager and impatient."

The villains looked at the window and saw a hideous sight. It was Scorpion Venom.

"Scorpion?" Kraven said.

"Scorpion Venom now. I wouldn't mess with me if I were you. I am much stronger than you."

"Have you come to kill me then?"

"I have come to tell you that I have been watching you all and listening to what you have been planning. If it's all the same, I would also like to take part in the downfall of Spider-Man."

"Are you suggesting that we become the Sinister Seven?" Mysterio asked. "Because I don't wanna over-saturate the group."

"You can replace this fool Mysterio," Electro suggested.

"I would like to replace the secretive one in your group," Scorpion Venom said. "As you may or may not know, I am one of the best private investigators in the city. As such, I have come to the conclusion that one of you is not at all what he appears to be."

At that point, the villain with mechanical tentacles stared intently at Scorpion Venom. Nobody seemed to notice this, however.

"You!" Scorpion Venom said, pointing at the Sandman. "Flint Marko. You told your teammates that your daughter is dead."

"She is. And Spider-Man is the one who tried keeping me from getting money so that I could give her medical treatment."

"She appears the have the best medical treatment that she can have. I have seen her. She is alive and well."

"What? What did you do to her?"

"No worries. I did not even come close to her. I just spotted her through a window from afar. But you, you don't seem to trust your friends here to tell them that you have a living daughter. Were you afraid that they would have harmed her?"

"Tell us everything!" Kraven shouted. "What are you hiding from us!"

"Nothing!" the Sandman said.

"I believe that it is likely that the Sandman is not on your side at all. For all you know, he could be trying to help Spider-Man by finding out what his adversaries are up to. I see that nervous look on your face. You cannot deny it. You are a danger to the Sinister Six."

"And you're not? I fought one of your kind before, and it was vicious. I bet that you had something to do with that thing that attacked us in the prison. How do we know that we can trust _you_?"

"I gave it orders to eliminate you because I knew that you were a liar," Scorpion Venom lied.

"Is all of this true?" Electro asked.

"No!' the Sandman said.

"Then prove it," said the leader.

The Sandman created a whirlwind of sand and attempted to attack the entire group.

"Get out of the room!" Mysterio said. "I'll use this stuff on him."

As the other members and Scorpion Venom exited the room, Mysterio released poisonous gas into the air. The Sandman could not handle it. Therefore, the sand that made him up flew out of the window and over the city. Mysterio walked over to where the others were at.

"Did you kill him?" Kraven asked.

"No. But I don't think he'll try bothering us again."

"Not if this team is a greater force!" Scorpion Venom said. "Let me join and I will help you kill the spider. I know how to make him suffer. I _know_ his identity."

"What is it?" Kraven asked.

"Peter Parker. Former photographer of _The Daily Bugle_. His love interest: Mary Jane Watson. His family: May Parker."


	14. Carnage

That night, in a dark alley within New York City, Cletus Kasady was lurking around, sporting the black and red symbiote. He stood on a fire escape.

"I am a killer. I _love_ to kill. They can't lock me up anymore now that I have you. We can kill together."

He was, disturbingly, speaking to the symbiote that surrounded his body. He was waiting for someone to enter the alley so that he could test out his new skills that could potentially make him more lethal than ever before. After much waiting, someone ran into the alley.

"Stay away from me!"

The man was running from three other men who carried knives.

"Just hand over your money and it'll be over!"

"I don't owe you shit!"

The man who had been running pulled out a gun.

"Wow. Calm down. No need to shoot us. Let's just talk."

"You're not going to ravage each other after all?" Carnage asked.

"What the hell?"

"What is that thing?"

The man with the gun tried shooting at Carnage. He leaped from the fire escape and clung to the wall. He dodged another bullet by jumping off of that wall and landing on the man with the gun. He disarmed him and removed the bullets from the click.

"Who needs weapons? I used to kill with weapons, but I could also kill with my hands. Now I know that my hands are stronger than before. Get up and fight like a man!"

The disarmed man got up. Carnage stepped backward. When he stopped, he shot pieces of his symbiote that were as solid as bullets. They hit the man in the neck, killing him. The bullet turned into dust, leaving behind no evidence. Cletus revealed his face, his body still covered by the symbiote. One of the men with knives ran up to him and stabbed him in the left cheek.

"Take that you freak!"

The evil entity took the knife away from him and stabbed him in the gut. He dropped it to the ground. The two survivors examined Cletus' face. The skin around the cut was regenerating.

"All nice and pretty again!"

"Forget this!" one of the men said.

"I'm outta here!" the other said.

The two men tried running out of the alley. Carnage extended the symbiote from his arms, stuck to them, and pulled them back to him. He threw one of them upward. He watched the man fly until his head splatted on the ground. Next, he threw the other one's face into the wall multiple times until he stopped breathing. The cymbiote turned into red and black clothing. Cletus walked out of the alley, appearing normal to the New Yorkers nearby, who had yet to discover his blood-lusting nature.


	15. The Cure

The next morning, Peter watched the news on the television in his living room.

_"Four bodies have been found in this crime scene. There is no physical evidence of who did this. However, the same night, Cletus Kasady, who had recently gone missing from Ryker's Prison, was spotted on-camera. He fled as soon as he discovered that he spotted the security camera, and his whereabouts are currently unknown."_

The phone rang. Peter answered it.

"Hello?"

"Peter. It's Doctor Connors."

"Doctor Connors!"

"Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you, but I have been working really hard trying to mess with this thing. I think I finally found a cure."

"That's great news! I'll get there as soon as I can."

Peter journeyed all the way to the Connors house. He rang the doorbell. Curt Connors' son Billy answered.

"Spider-Man!"

"Hey there!"

"Billy," Martha Connors said, "he really needs to talk to your father."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay," Peter said.

"He is in his lab," Martha said.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Peter entered Dr. Connors' lab and saw that he was holding up a chemical.

"This is it," Connors said. "After working inside and out, I have finally done it. Morbius may be smart, but I bet he didn't count on me living to help you. I am not just a physicist now. I'm also a biologist."

"Are you sure that it works?"

"I have run dozens of tests with your blood. They have all yielded the same positive results."

"Let's get it in me, then."

Doctor Connors injected the chemical into Peter's arm. He started to feel different. He remembered this feeling. He felt stronger than he had felt mere minutes earlier.

"Try it," Connors said.

"Huh?"

"Try shooting out a web."

Peter pointed his hand at a wall. He summoned the spider within him and released a web that landed on the wall.

"I'm cured!"

"What did I tell you?"

"Doctor Connors, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"I owed you. What can I say?"

The two of them walked into the living room and saw that Martha and Billy were watching the news.

"Peter, there's something else I have to tell you," Curt said.

"Hang on," Peter said, focusing on the news.

_"The Sinister Six have just reappeared, and it looks like they have a new member who has replaced the Sandman. This new member bears similarities to both Scorpion, who had recently disappeared, and the alien creature who, along with the Sandman, tried to eliminate Spider-Man three years ago. They are outside of the Daily Bugle building."_

"Oh no," Peter said. "I have to go."

"Go save the day, Spider-Man!" Billy said.

Peter exited the house in his Spider-Man costume. He ran down the street and started swinging from building to building, ready to rise to a new heroic challenge after so long.


	16. An Editor To Blame

Things were not moving as fast for _The Daily Bugle_. This troubled the employees very much, but not as much as it annoyed Jameson.

"Why are things so sloppy today?" Jameson yelled. "Are we doing something different."

"It could be because you fired Robertson," Betty said.

"What? That's ridiculous. We can function without him. If we got used to functioning without Parker, I am sure that we can get used to functioning without Robertson. Things are just dandy in the workplace!"

A crash through the window interrupted Jameson's rant. Mysterio landed in the office. He detached a black substance from himself.

"Put me on the paper!" Mysterio said.

"Damn it!" Jameson said. "We just fixed that after the last attack!"

"Those were some good times," Scorpion Venom said as he entered, revealing his face.

"Mac! It's you! All along, _you_ were Scorpion! Why am I always the last to know?"

"Get over yourself, Jameson."

Mysterio created a projection of Spider-Man running through the building. Jameson believed it to be the real thing.

"Spider-Man! How dare you? After all that you did!"

"That's right, Spider-Man. It's good being bad, isn't it."

"Doctor Octopus?" Jameson said to the villain who also entered through the broken glass.

"I hate that name."

"It was his idea!" Jameson said, pointing to Hoffman.

"What makes you think that?" Hoffman said. "You took credit for it. Remember?"

"Regardless!" Electro said as he sent shock waves through computers, startling employees. "We are here to strike terror."

"What can you possibly do to scare me?" Jameson said.

"That's a good question," Kraven said as he entered. "His son is in a coma from what I hear. How can we show him even more fear?"

Scorpion Venom grabbed onto Scorpion. He made a cut in his arm with his tail.

"You did this to me, Jonah," Scorpion Venom said. "Or should I call you Jeremiah? That _is_ your first name."

"It is?" Hoffman asked.

"Shut it! Jameson here gave me this black substance that made me more powerful. Thanks to him, I am stronger, and I even created Carnage, a bloodthirsty killer who is running through the streets. And now, I shall make Kraven the Hunter stronger than he is now."

"Don't!" his superior said.

It was too late. Scorpion Venom got a piece of his symbiote into Kraven's bloodstream. He became as black and red as Carnage.

"It is all your fault, Jameson," Scorpion Venom said. "You unleashed chaos into the city. And now, innocent people will die because of you. I wonder what your son will think of that when he wakes up."

"You leave my son out of this!"

Kraven looked outside and noticed Spider-Man on a rooftop far away.

"Look," Kraven pointed.

The villains looked where he was pointing, and so did the staff.

"Wait," Jameson said. "How can he be here and there?"

"All illusions," Mysterio said. "Thanks for making Spidey look bad."

"Now a hero will die because of you!" Kraven said before he jumped out of the building and started swinging, the other villains on his tail


	17. Kravenage

Spider-Man could see something swinging towards him. It looked similar to Venom, but it was black _and_ red. The symbiote seemed to be covering pelts of fur. The fur looked red with black spots and stripes.

"Where the hell did that come from?"

It jumped and kicked him in the chest, knocking him down. It revealed its face.

"Hello, Spider-Man. Or should I say, Peter Parker?"

"Kraven? What happened to you? And why are you calling me that?"

"Don't play dumb! Your scorpion friend already told us your secret identity."

"Why did it take you guys so long to find out? I thought you had Octavius on your side."

"Ha ha ha! There is so much that you have yet to learn!"

Spider-Man got up and shot webs from his fingers. He pulled Kraven towards him and punched him in the face. Kraven crouched on the rooftop and covered his face with the symbiote.

"This is the new face of the Hunter! Have you heard of Carnage? Well, I am Kravenage!"

"And I thought Mysterio was cheesy," Electro said as he arrived.

Spider-Man took a few hits in the gut. Spider-Man grabbed onto Kraven and jumped off of the building with him. He let go of Kraven and used a web to stick to the building. Kraven did the same.

"Why did it take you so long to come out of hiding?" Kraven asked.

"I wasn't hiding. Something had happened to me."

"Something is about to happen to you right now."

"This is not yourself talking, Kraven! It's the symbiote! It had amplified your anger!"

"I was already this angry with you when you took my prey away from me!"

"Killing is not the answer."

"Don't you give me that ridiculous lecture. It is never going to work. I know who I am. And I know who you are. _We_ know who you are!"

"No!"

He swung towards Spider-Man and kicked him in the neck. Next, he grabbed onto Spider-Man's arm that had the web and jumped onto the sidewalk with him. He lay the hero on the sidewalk and stomped on his chest. He punched Spider-Man in the head three times.

"Now _this_ is the thrill of the hunt!" Kraven said.

"Sergei!" the leader of the Sinister Six yelled. "He is not to be killed just yet. Remember the plan."

Kraven stopped punching Spider-Man.

"Fine!" Kraven said. "But he's mine after all this elaborate crap is finished. You got that!"

"Absolutely. When have I ever let you down?"

Kraven walked a good distance away from Spider-Man. Pedestrians were horrified to see their idol down on the ground just when he had returned. They all scattered for their lives when Mysterio started emitting sleeping gas.

"Sweet dreams, Spidey," Mysterio said. "They just may be the last ones that you have."

Within moments, Spider-Man was asleep. Mysterio then used a smoke bomb so that the Sinister Six could disappear with the superhero in their hands.


	18. Abduction

That night, Mary Jane Watson was singing in a play at a theater on Broadway. She looked at the two reserved seats in the audience. May Parker was sitting in one of the seats, but Peter was not sitting in the one next to her. Mary Jane managed to maintain her focus after wondering what may have happened to Peter. When the performance was over, applause sounded throughout the auditorium. All of the cast members took a final bow. Mary Jane signaled for May to meet her in her dressing room.

Minutes later, May managed to find the dressing room and entered.

"That was a wonderful show, Mary Jane."

"Thanks. Do you know where Peter is at?"

"No. I have not heard from him. You have not seen him or spoken to him today?"

"No. Don't panic, but I think that something is wrong. Peter said that he was coming to watch the show tonight. He would have let me know hours in advance if he wasn't gonna be here."

"Well, we mustn't assume the worst. Hopefully, he just overslept while taking a nap."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

They heard a knock on the door.

"Maybe that's him right now," May suggested.

"Come in," Mary Jane said.

A man with a normal suit walked into the room with a large bouquet of flowers covering his face.

"These flowers are for you, Miss Watson."

"Who are they from?"

"Me."

"Oh."

"Were you expecting them to be from your boyfriend? Well, you are right about one thing. He _has_ overslept. Now, so will you."

The man moved the flowers away from his face.

"Quentin Beck!" Mary Jane said.

"Your singing was lovely. I wish my movie hadn't been canceled so that you could've starred in it. You would have won many awards."

"Stay away!"

"Is that any way to speak to the man who tried to make you more famous? No boyfriend to save you right now."

"What have you done to him?" May asked.

"He is only sleeping right now. But when he wakes up, he will know the true meaning of pain. It's a good thing that we found the two of you here in the same place at the same time. I guess you're both in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Beck tossed the bouquet of flowers. A closer look revealed that the flowers were actually nozzles from which gas was coming. Beck put on his Mysterio helmet right before the gas put Mary Jane and My Parker to sleep.

"Are they asleep yet?" the Vulture asked.

"Yeah. Come and get the old one. Scorpion Venom take the girlfriend. Follow Doc Ock's plan."

"How much longer will Spider-Man be out?" Scorpion Venom asked.

"It should be just an hour or to."

"Then let's get moving!" the Vulture said. "We've got some revenge to execute. Not just against Spider-Man, but against society!"

"Society will pay!" Scorpion Venom said.


	19. Forgiveness

The Sandman, Flint Marko, slept on a rooftop. He was having a dream in which he was being approached by a familiar face. It was the face of a man he had accidentally shot to death years earlier.

"Ben Parker. Is it really you?"

"It is. It's been a while since I spoke to you, Mr. Marko."

"I am _so_ sorry. No words can express how much I regret what happened that night that you died."

"It was an accident."

"No. It was my fault. I shouldn't have tried stealing a car. I should have left you out of the situation. I should not have been running with bad company."

"We all make choices that we regret. But that doesn't mean that we should have to suffer from them. And I believe that a few of your friends want to make my nephew suffer."

"I was infiltrating their group so that I could find out their plan and warn your nephew about what they planned to do. But I failed."

"Well, I think you should know that my nephew has been captured by them. He cannot defeat them alone."

"I can help him. But what can two do against six?"

"I am sure that you can figure it out. You are a good man. Do not tell yourself otherwise. You have to look inside and realize what good you can do. You may regret being turned into sand, but your powers are useful if used correctly. With great power comes great responsibility. I have told my nephew that. It is the reason that he is always out fighting crime and trying to bring goodness to New York. You can do the same. Please, Flint. Do me a favor and save my family."

"I will. I know that I would want someone to save my daughter if she was dying. She is doing better now, but I still regret my unlawful actions. I think that saving your living family is the only way that I can ever redeem myself. I will find any help that I can get."

"I know you will. I forgive you."

Flint Marko shook hands with Ben Parker.

He awoke and rose up rapidly. He looked at the night sky and noticed a flying human with mechanical wings. He turned into sand and started flying in its direction.


	20. Recovery

For hours, J. Jonah Jameson and his wife Joan had been sitting beside their unconscious son. Jonah was fully of guilt.

"It's all my fault, Joan."

"What do you mean?"

"The Sinister Six. They took Spider-Man. And it's all my fault. All this time I convinced myself that he was a menace. After hearing what Robertson told me, I started to believe that maybe I've been wrong this whole time. He was right. And he was a good friend. What is wrong with me?"

"There is nothing wrong with you."

"There is. I am partly responsible for making people think that Spider-Man is evil. But he is not evil. He is a hero. I was blinded by my stupid stubbornness. I honestly cannot understand why you ever wanted to marry me."

"I married you because I knew that you were ambitious and that you would be a great father."

"Am I a great father? Have I done all that our son would have wanted us to do? Even if Spider-Man is a hero, the man that he is is the same man who took our son's fiance' away from him. Can I forgive him for that? Is it what John would want."

"It is," John said, now awake from his coma after all this time.

"John!" his mother said as she hugged him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I can play football on the Moon again."

"Let's wait a while before you try anything like that. You should spend some time home with us."

"I admit that I was sad that day, Dad. But I've been thinking. Mary Jane loved Peter _before_ she ever met me. Maybe I was the one who was wrong to get in the way of something special between those two. I have let go of her, Dad. I forgive both of them. They will go down their own path, and I will go down mine. I am not depressed anymore. I know that I will meet the woman of my dreams just as Peter met his. Just as you met yours."

John's parents gazed into each others eyes and then back at him.

"Then I forgive him, son. I just wish that I could undo all that I did. That alien thing is likely to kill him."

As J. Jonah Jameson looked out the window, he spotted a couple of things flying in the sky. He recognized one of them as the Sandman.

"The Sandman!" he said as he ran to the phone, dialing 9-1-1. "Hello. This is J. Jonah Jameson. I would like to report that I have spotted the Sandman. I have a hunch that if you follow him, you can help Spider-Man. I'll tell you exactly which way he's heading."


	21. Chameleon

Spider-Man woke up after feeling an electric spark. He could see that he was tied up tightly and lying on a floor. He looked up and saw the face of Doctor Otto Octavius. He did not have his mechanical tentacles, but he held a pistol in right hand. He was clothed by a blue suit. He was accompanied by Kraven, Mysterio, and Electro. Electro shocked him once more.

"Relax," Mysterio said. "He's a doctor. Right Doc?"

"No. But I play one. Welcome to the lair of the Sinister Six."

"Why? Why did you do this?"

"Because I just love my brother so much."

"Your brother? You have a brother?"

"Otto Octavius didn't. But I do."

"It was a shock to us as well," Electro said.

"And you call me cheesy," Mysterio said.

"The pun was not intended."

The man in the blue suit removed t face of Otto Octavius, which now resembled a rubber mask. Now, Spider-Man was gazing at a bald, pale head with an angry-looking face.

"Who are you?" Spider-Man asked.

"Since we already know your identity, I believe that you deserve to know. My real name is Dmitri Smerdyakov. Sergei, or Kraven as you know him, is my half-brother. After failing to kill you, he asked for my help. It was I who posed as you and robbed that bank. I have been a master criminal in disguise for the past twenty-seven years. In January of 1990, I came across a lab that had been blown up by a criminal named Robert Durant. Within that lab was technology that had been developed by a scientist named Peyton Westlake. I took what information I could and studied it. I managed to create masks that resembled the faces of people that were projected by a computer. Apparently, so did Peyton Westlake. Unfortunately, the masks melted after a certain amount of time. However, that did not hinder me from posing as people of prominence and rising up in the criminal ranks. Within this building are a couple dozen men willing to do my bidding. As you can see by now, I have perfected the technology. I can blend into any place that I go. I am Chameleon!"

"So what happens now?" Spider-Man asked. "What is your evil plan? Are you gonna shock me again? Poison me?"

"Good question. I'm surprised you haven't asked where Vulture and Scorpion Venom are. The Vulture is flying around the Empire State Building. He has your loving aunt."

"Aunt May!"

"Correct. So I suppose your first task is to save her. Yes? Well, you may want to rethink that after you here this. Your girlfriend, Miss Watson, is caught in a web below the bridge to Ryker's Prison. The water below her is _very_ deep and cold. Scorpion Venom is watching her. I'm surprised that he didn't figure out who I was."

"After Spider-Man dies, _I_ will get to kill Scorpion!" Kraven said, covered by the symbiote.

"Of course. That symbiote on him is dangerous, though. Therefore, I want you to carry this flamethrower just in case."

"Fine! But I probably won't even need it!"

"Face it, Spider-Man," Chameleon said. "You are in a dilemma and there is nobody to save you."

Just then, everyone in the room heard bullets sounding from outside. Chamelon looked out the window and saw police officers shooting at his men.

"I'll take care of them," Mysterio said.

"Wait! Don't harm my henchmen!"


	22. Chaos

Mysterio went downstairs and saw the henchman shooting at police officers and S.W.A.T. team members who were entering. Mysterio emitted poisonous gas.

"Die!"

"Fool!" Chameleon said. "You will doom all of my men."

"So what? I am tired of being in your shadow. I don't give a rat's ass whether or not you guys will kill Spider-Man. I have gained recognition for being one of the men who kidnapped him."

"Isn't that enough?"

"No. I want more. I want to be notorious for poisoning squads of cops _and_ the minions of the master criminal Chameleon. I will kill you and then reveal to the world some of the things that you have done. I will haunt the minds of others until Mysterio is a household name."

Chameleon ran up the stairs as his men choked to death. The gas cleared after a few moments. Mysterio followed Chameleon. Electro was keeping Spider-Man tied up.

"You don't wanna kill me!" Spider-Man said to Electro. "You just teamed up with them because you were outnumbered. It doesn't have to be this way!"

In a fit of rage, Electro shot lightning bolts that broke the glass of the windows.

"What am I to do? Will these people listen? I don't think so!"

"Electro!" Chameleon said. "Mysterio has gone mad! Stop him!"

Without thinking, Mysterio shot a lightning bolt at Mysterio, who was holding a smoke bomb. This caused him to fall back. It also caused the smoke bomb to explode on him.

"Free me!" Spider-Man said to Electro.

Electro paused for a moment to think. Chameleon walked up to the man with the red and black symbiote.

"Yes. Free him, Electro," Chameleon said. "All part of the plan. Kraven here will be up to the challenge of chasing Spider-Man on a death chase, and you will also follow him whichever way he goes to give him a nonlethal yet painful shock."

"Dmitri!" Kraven said from a few feet away. "That's not me!"

Chameleon looked at Kraven and then at the monstrosity that was standing right next to him. It was Carnage. He made his fingers as sharp as knives and slit Chameleon's throat, killing him.

"_I_ was supposed to kill Chameleon!" Mysterio said.

"I see you have a new suit," Carnage said to Kraven.

"You killed my brother! You are now number one on my most wanted list!"

"Why does that sound so familiar? Ha ha ha."

The red and black Kraven stuck his webs onto Carnage and created a slingshot that launched so that his legs kicked his chest. Carnage got up quickly. He shot webs at Kraven that stuck to him and swung him around before letting him go, causing him to hit the wall. Kraven groaned, but he got up.

"You should just retire from hunting, old man. There is a new hunter in town."

"I hunt with more honor than you!"

"Do you? I watched the news in prison. I heard that you strangled this Rhino guy to death."

"He was an animal!"

"So was Chameleon. Is little Kraven gonna cry? Face it. You are just like me. We both murder people because it's fun. We don't care about their feelings. We enjoy causing chaos."

"It's not true!"

"Listen to the symbiote. Let it grow the monster inside of you. You are an animal!"

"NO!"

Kraven could not take it anymore. His brother was dead, the symbiote that he was wearing was amplifying his anger, and he realized that he was a cold-blooded murderer. He picked up Chameleon's gun and aimed it at his head. In his left hand, he held a flamethrower and pointed it at his body, which was covered by the symbiote. He covered himself in flames, burning the symbiote. As he screamed, he pulled the trigger on the pistol and shot himself in the head to end his misery. Seeing that the leader of the Sinister Six and his brother were dead, Electro untied Spider-Man.

"Talk about killing two birds with one stone," Mysterio said. "You two won't get away from me."

Spider-Man shot out a web that took off Mysterio's helmet. Within moments, he was asleep. Carnage jumped out of the broken window. Spider-Man and Electro went over to the broken window and were grabbed by two people from the outside. As they were taken out, they saw the fire from Kraven's body traveling on the gas coming from Electro. They heard an explosion.


	23. Empire State Building

Electro and Spider-Man had been grabbed by the Sandman and the Vultress respectively.

"Flint?" Spider-Man said. "Felicia?"

"What should I do with this guy?" the Sandman said.

"Depends. Which side are you on, Max?"

"Your side! Your side! I'm free now! I was afraid that these guys would go after me, but now half of them are dead!"

"How?" Felicia asked.

"Doc Oc was really Kraven's brother Chameleon," Spider-Man explained. "They were both killed by symbiotes."

"And Mysterio is burning in Hell's Kitchen now," Electro said. "He tried to put us all to sleep. Would've been nice if the Sandman arrived sooner to put him to sleep."

"We would have arrived sooner," Felicia said, "but the cops down there kept trying to shoot at us. I thought you'd need help when I heard about the Sinister Six on the news, and Sandman here helped me find you. Sorry we didn't drop in sooner."

"No time for apologies," Spider-Man said. "Mary Jane and Aunt May are in trouble. Scorpion has Mary Jane on the bridge to Ryker's prison and the Vulture has Aunt May on the Empire state Building."

"I had a feeling I'd meet Toomes again sooner or later," Felicia said.

"We'll save your aunt," the Sandman said. "You go after your girl. You better help him, Electro!"

"I will. And call me Max."

Electro jumped on a power line and traveled on it as if he was on electric roller-skates. Spider-Man swung from building to building, following him. The Sandman and the Vultress flew across the city. When they reached the Empire State Building, they could see the Vulture circling above the tallest skyscraper in New York.

"I'll distract him," Felicia said. "You surprise him."

The Vultress flew to the top of the building. She could see that May Parker was tied up and close to the edge of the building. The door where tourists would normally come out of was locked.

"Help me!" May yelled.

"Well if it isn't my protege'," the Vulture said. "I see that you have made a name for yourself."

"You might as well give yourself up, Mr. Toomes. Half of the Sinister Six are dead, and we've got a couple on our side."

"Have you sided with that bug who caged me? You should join me. The Sinister Six is done. You and I could form our own partnership."

"Sorry. I've already got one."

Sand surrounded the Vulture. He was caught in a whirlwind that sent him spiraling onto a rooftop down below. The Vultress could see him lying with his front faced down. The Sandman pulled May away from the edge and untied her.

"You!" May said.

"Hello. My name is Flint Marko. We found your nephew. I volunteered to come save you."

"Where is he then?"

"He's going to save his girlfriend. He has help. Look, I just wanna say that I'm sorry that I shot your husband five years ago. It has haunted my mind all these years. I just wanted his car because I wanted to get away with money for my sick daughter. He tried to calm me down. Then my partner ran by and surprised me, causing me to shoot him by accident. I cried that night. But I bet I didn't cry as much as you did that night. I am sorry for all of the pain that I caused you. I wish that I could take it all back."

May Parker looked into Flint Marko's eyes. He looked like he wanted to cry.

"It takes a lot of courage to look into the eyes of someone you've hurt and tell them what you regret," May said. "I forgive you."

"Take her somewhere safe," Felicia said. "I'll go help Peter."

The Sandman and May parted ways with the Vultress. The Vulture looked up and saw which way she was flying. He got up and started following her.


	24. Bridge of Death

Electro and Spider-Man were being followed by Carnage, who was swinging from building to building. Electro shot lightning bolts at him. Part of Cletus' symbiote got off of him for a moment. He tried shooting at Carnage again, but he dodged and swung out of sight. When they made it to the bridge, Spider-Man swung below it and saw Mary Jane on a black web.

"Peter!" she yelled.

Scorpion Venom, who was clinging to the side of the bridge, shot out a black string that pulled Spider-Man towards him.

"How much are you suffering now?" Scorpion Venom said.

"Not as much as you. You may not realize it, but this thing is turning you into a monster. How can you live with yourself?"

"The question is how will you live after fighting me?"

Venom Scorpion held on to Spider-Man as he hit him in the back with his mechanical tail. There were now scratches on his suit. He jumped onto the road on the bridge. Electro tried shooting a lightning bolt at Scorpion Venom, but he used Spider-Man as a shield.

"Try shooting again and he'll be dead!"

Electro restrained himself. He was startled when a reptilian creature with a lab coat arrived from behind him. It ran to Scorpion Venom and pulled Spider-Man out of his hands.

"Doctor Connors?" Spider-Man said. "How did this happen to you again?"

"I did this to myself. I perfected the chemical. I am in control!"

Scorpion Venom smashed Lizard's tail with his mechanical tail. Lizard held onto the mechanical tail and swung Scorpion Venom in a circle before throwing him onto the ground in front of Electro. Electro shocked Scorpion until the symbiote got off of him. Spider-Man walked over to the edge of the bridge and looked down at Mary-Jane.

"I'll save you!"

"Peter! There's something under the bridge!"

Carnage, who had clung to the bottom of the bridge, leaped at Spider-Man. He picked Spider-Man up and tossed him over the side of the bridge. Spider-Man shot a string that allowed him to hold onto the side. Carnage ran over to Mac Gargan, who only had his Scorpion suit.

"You are weak! You are not worthy for the symbiote! It needs a better host!"

Carnage placed his hand in front of Mac's face and shot symbiote bullets that penetrated the skull and turned to dust within the brain. Spider-Man looked at Mary Jane.

"Get rid of that thing! He's dangerous!"

"I have to save you!"

"I'll hang on. It'll be safer when he's gone!"


	25. A Hero's Death

The Vultress flew over the bridge. She took a bomb out of one of her wings when she saw Carnage and the black symbiote. He was about to throw it at Carnage, but the Vulture hit one of her wings with his and made her drop the bomb over the side. When it exploded, it started burning the black web that Mary Jane was on. She was hanging by one black string within moments. Spider-Man shot a string at her and puller her to him before the rest of it could be burned. He held onto her and pulled her up to the road on the bridge.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am now," she said.

The Vulture bumped into the Vultress, causing her to fall in front of Carnage and the black symbiote. Lizard jumped out of the way. Her harness came off. She was wingless. The sight of the symbiotes scared her.

"I made you what you are, Miss Hardy!" the Vulture said. "Your father said that you should try to be the best. But without the wings, you can't fly. What are you without wings?"

The black symbiote could sense Felicia's anger. It bonded with her until it covered her whole body.

"I am a Black Cat!" she said. "And the bird is my prey!"

With that, she shot out black webs from her hands to stick to her harness. He used them to throw the harness upward and hit the wings of the Vulture. He was killed by the resulting explosion.

"Felicia!" Spider-Man said. "Let go of that suit!"

Spider-Man used a web to cling to Felicia's body. Electro shocked her until the black symbiote got off of her. He moved over to the side of the bridge.

"I should have destroyed this thing a long time ago before letting it escape," Lizard said. "Now I'm gonna destroy it."

Lizard took a beaker out of his lab coat and threw it at the symbiote. The glass broke, and an acidic substance started burning the black symbiote. It fell off of the bridge.

"Good job," Electro said. "Let's take care of this one."

"That's the only beaker I had!" Lizard said.

"Then I'll just electrocute it until it fries."

Electro electrocuted Carnage. The symbiote came off a bit for a moment. Carnage screamed and ran at Electro. He grabbed onto Electro and jumped over the bridge with him. He shot a web so he could hang onto the side of the bridge.

"If you shock me, we both die," Carnage said.

"You should have been in the electric chair a long time ago," Electro said.

Electro summoned all of the electric energy that he could possibly emit and fried Carnage's web, causing both of them to fall. When they were near the water, Carnage shot out another web so that he could cling to the side of a military ship. Before Electro's death, he saw a piece of the black symbiote on the bottom of the bridge leaping onto the ship. Maxwell Dillon was electrocuted to death in the water.


	26. Parting Ways

Spider-Man, Mary Jane, Felicia, and Lizard looked over the side of the bridge. They could see the remains of Adrian Toomes and his harness. They could also see Dillon's body floating in the water.

"Did he kill it?" Lizard wondered.

"I don't know," Felicia said. "But he saved me from becoming something evil before he died."

"That's enough to make him a hero," Spider-Man said.

They waited there for a few minutes. During that time, Lizard drank the chemical that turned him back into Dr. Curtis Connors. The Sandman arrived on the bridge with May Parker. Spider-Man took off his mask.

"She insisted on seeing you," the Sandman said to Spider-Man. "She was worried about you. I don't blame her."

"Oh, Peter. It's so great to see that you're fine."

"What will you do now?" Peter asked Flint.

"Hopefully my family will accept me for who I am," the Sandman said. "I'm just glad that we got closure."

"May God bless you for your heroic actions," May said.

"Only He know whether or not I deserve such blessings. But thanks."

The Sandman turned into sand and flew away into the city.

"You must be Felicia," Mary Jane said.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I don't have a crush on your boyfriend anymore. I don't see how you keep up with him. I don't think that I can keep up with anything going on in this country. Maybe I'll fly over to Europe."

"And I better get back to my family so that they know that I'm okay," Connors said.

"Thanks for all the help," Peter said.

"You deserve it. Every hero needs other heroes at his side."

And with that, the group parted ways in the night.


	27. Closure

The next morning, Peter and Mary Jane had been invited to the office of J. Jonah Jameson. They entered the workplace.

"Good morning, Peter," Betty said.

"Are you working with us again?" Hoffman asked.

"I just got an invitation to meet with Jameson."

Robbie Robertson entered the room a moment later.

"It's great to see you back, Mr. Robertson," J. Jonah Jameson said.

"It's great to be back now that you've come to your senses."

"I know. You were right. Spider-Man is a hero. Peter, Mary Jane, step into my office."

They followed Jameson into his office and saw John Jameson. J. Jonah Jameson closed the door behind them.

"John," Mary Jane said. "You're awake! I'm sorry we never really discussed what happened."

"It's okay. You moved on. And even though it took me a while to, I moved on as well."

"Can you ever forgive us?"

"No. There is nothing to forgive you for. You two belong together. And I shouldn't be upset about that. You're a good man, Peter. And you are what's best for Mary Jane."

John held out his hand. Peter shook it.

"No hard feelings?" Peter asked.

"None at all. I better go, now. My dad wants to talk to you."

John exited the room.

"I'm sorry for firing you, Peter. And for making you look like a menace. I was all about the money. But now I am all about the truth. Would you consider coming back to the _Daily Bugle_?"

"I don't know. I'm already taking pictures of Spider-Man for the _Daily Planet_."

"I'm not surprised. Can I at least get an exclusive interview with Spider-Man? I promise that I will leave your name off of the article."

"Sure."

"Great. Let me grab my pen... So, Spider-Man, you have just defeated a group of villains all by yourself."

"Not exactly by myself."

"That's good. Feel free to correct me so I get the story straight. Before we go into all that, how did you gain your superpowers?"

"Well, it all started when I was bitten by a radioactive spider..."


	28. Future

Later on, Peter and Mary Jane were walking by the water in Central Park.

"What a night," Mary Jane said.

"Yeah. We almost lost each other."

"I never wanna lose you, Peter."

"I never wanna lose you, Mary Jane. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Which is why I believe that I am ready for this."

"Ready for what."

Peter got down on one knee and pulled Aunt May's ring out of his pocket.

"Mary Jane Watson, being a superhero who saves a lot of people has caused happiness for both them and myself. But I wanna be happier. Will you make me the happiest that I can be by marrying me?"

Mary Jane's eyes started to water.

"You've been there for me whenever I needed you. We've had problems, but we got through them together. And our love has grown stronger because of it. Yes. Yes, Peter! I wanna marry you!"

Peter got up and kissed her soft lips.

"I love you Mary Jane."

"And I love you, Peter."

The two of them continued to kiss as the sunlight revealed what a bright future they would share together as husband and wife.


End file.
